§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about his recent trade visit to Japan.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerMy visit to Japan last week was primarily an inward investment mission. I was much encouraged by the clear interest Japanese industry is showing in further significant investments in the United Kingdom over the coming years.
I had the honour of addressing the Japan-British Society in the presence of His Imperial Highness Prince Tomohito of Mikasa. I had very useful discussions with Mr. Sosuke Uno, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Yasuoki Urano, Parliamentary Vice Minister for International Trade and Industry, and representatives of the Keidanren.
I spoke at two seminars at Nagoya and Osaka which had been arranged by the Invest in Britain Bureau of the Department of Trade and Industry. These were prestigious engagements attended by many senior Japanese business people in those areas.
As this was my first visit to Japan in my present capacity, I visited a number of companies which have already established factories in Wales to make contact with them and to discuss their plans for the future of their Welsh operations. I also met senior representatives of a number of companies which are considering establishing operations in the United Kingdom. Two projects—Star Micronics and a joint venture by Onamba and Sumitomo —were announced whilst I was in Japan; between them they should bring a further 470 jobs to Wales. I attended a ceremony involving an exchange of trees in connection with the national garden festival at Ebbw Vale in 1992.